I’m, like, 95% sure I remember it being an option when I first got a provisional licence in the late 70s. But unless you had some physical reason why you couldn’t use a manual, it wasn’t one that made sense to most people.
Nowadays, with EVs and improved technology that allows automatic transmissions to work effectively in small engined cars, it is noticeably more common. My niece recently passed her test for automatic only. But then, that was just before she moved to Denver, so…
The South African test requires drivers to perform all of: parallel parking, alley docking (reverse bay parking) from both sides, hill start, emergency stop and three-point turn.
Yes, we have to do those other things too
You have to remember that the electrics were made by Lucas, so it was ‘when’ they broke, not if. I had a 65 Land Rover and used the manual wiper mode far too many times. It also allowed for faster speeds during heavy rain.
I am well familiar with Lucas; I own a '69 MG.
I’m sorry for your loss (of electrical power).
I own a '53 MG TD. I know the “Prince of Darkness” quite well.
Lucas - Inventor of the first intermittent wiper. 
Yeah I know, old joke.
Sign on Brit Motors shop “The parts falling off these cars are of the finest British manufacture”.
Boy this thread took a weird turn,m and that’s Okay by me, the original question was asked and answered by post 3.
Carry on!
Strangely, the electrics in my MG didn’t give me too much trouble. I would occasionally get water in the distributor when driving in a hard rain, and both headights burned out at the same time, once.